Pylades Overview - rjsmith/rsbatech-modules GitHub Wiki

This is the documentation of the RSBATechModules Pylades VCV Rack module and related TouchOSC controller preset.

The Pylades VCV Rack module provides external VCV Rack parameter control from TouchOSC with two-way display value and control label feedback, remote module switching, automapping etc. It works together with a custom TouchOSC preset called "Pylades", which you must have loaded and connected within TouchOSC running on your controller device.

First demo and mapping tutorial (Youtube)

Separate user guide pages for the module and the TouchOSC preset are linked below, followed by a list of main user workflows using them both together. The main idea is that once you have completed any module mapping you need to do for a Rack patch, you can then let go of your mouse and play the patch using only the TouchOSC preset.

Getting Started

  1. Until / unless Pylades is added to the VCVRack Library, you will need to install it yourself using a pre-built installer available in this git repository. See the repo README for instructions on how to install the pre-built binaries or compile and install yourself.

  2. Download and open the latest version Pylades TouchOSC preset in this repository touchosc folder. Currently there are two otherwise identical preset variants, depending on what style of control you prefer:

  • Pylades-knobs v2.x.x.tosc - knobs needing vertical finger movements (easier to move two or more controls at the same time I think)
  • Pylades v2.x.x.tosc - short-throw horizontal faders needing horizontal finger movements

  1. Add the Pylades module to a VCVRack patch (from the RSBATechModules plugin).

  2. Open the TouchOSC Connections window "OSC" tab, set up a new UDP connection with:

    Host = IP address of the machine running VCVRack on your network

    Send Port = a free port on the machine running VCVRack on your network

    Receive Port = a free port on your TouchOSC device

    Zeroconf = "Default"

TouchOSC Controller

  1. Run the Pylades TouchOSC preset. It will show a warning that it is searching for a connection to a Pylades VCVRack module. The preset will check every five seconds.

TouchOSC Controller

  1. Configure the Pylades VCVRack module:

    OSC Sender address = IP address of the TouchOSC device on your network (NB: use the (i) button on the TouchOSC connections OSC tab to find out what the IP address is)

    OSC Sender port = the TouchOSC "Receive Port" set in step 4 above

    OSC Receiver port = the "Send Port" set in step 4 above.

Pylades OSC connection

  1. Click the Pylades OSC Sender and OSC Receiver buttons to enable the connections after making changes - both buttons should light up green.

  2. After a few seconds, the Pylades TouchOSC preset should switch to show the current mapped controls, if any, on the Pylades module, else you will see an empty control page.

Now explore the control and mapping features in the TouchOSC preset and in the Pylades VCVRack module.

[!WARNING] The Pylades module and the TouchOSC preset have a built-in version check. This makes sure that the TouchOSC preset and its connected Pylades module will work together. The Major and minor versions of both must match (e.g. "v2.1" matches with "v2.1" but not with "V2.0 or v2.2") or you will see this warning:

Incompatible versions

If you see this, update either your TouchOSC preset or your RSBATechModules VCVRack plugin version so they match.